Railway rail fastening clip and assembly

ABSTRACT

A railway rail fastening clip ( 3 ), for fastening a railway rail ( 1 ) to an underlying rail foundation ( 2 ), is formed of an elongate plate shaped such that a central region ( 31 ) of the plate has in profile the form of a letter C, a first end region of the plate extending from one side of the central portion ( 31 ) of the plate to form a base portion ( 32 ) of the clip ( 3 ) for engaging a rail fastening anchoring device ( 4 ) secured to the rail foundation ( 2 ) and a second end region of the plate extending from the opposite side of the central region ( 31 ) of the plate to form a toe portion ( 33 ) of the clip ( 3 ) for bearing on the railway rail ( 1 ). The toe portion ( 33 ) of the clip ( 3 ) is provided with insulator retaining means ( 34 ) for retaining thereon a toe insulator ( 5 ) for electrically insulating the clip ( 3 ) from the rail ( 1 ).

[0001] The present invention relates to a railway rail fasteningassembly incorporating a clip which can be kept captive in the assembly.

[0002] One type of captive rail fastening clip, which is driven onto therail perpendicularly thereto, is disclosed in EP-B-0619851. This clip isa M-shaped clip formed of a rod of material and can be used with atwo-part insulator system, i.e. a toe insulator carried by the toe ofthe clip and a sidepost insulator which is carried by the clip anchoringdevice. This captive clip has the advantage that it can be retained bythe clip anchoring device in a pre-assembly position in which the toe ofthe clip does not bear on the rail and yet also retains the toe andsidepost insulators, thus facilitating track installation andmaintenance. However, no clip made of plate material has hitherto beenproposed which is operable in the same manner. GB696418 discloses anassembly having a plate-form clip carrying a toe insulator, but the clipis not held captive in the assembly.

[0003] According to the present invention there is provided a railwayrail fastening assembly for fastening a railway rail to an underlyingrail foundation, the assembly comprising: a railway rail fastening cliphaving a first, toe portion for bearing on the railway rail and a secondportion for engaging a rail fastening anchoring device secured to therail foundation, the clip being held captive in the assembly againstunintentional removal from the device; an electrically insulating toeinsulator having a cavity within which the toe portion of the clip islocated, whereby the clip is electrically insulated from the rail, theinsulator being retained on the toe portion of the clip by insulatorretaining means provided on the clip and insulator; and a rail fasteningclip anchoring device having a passageway within which the secondportion of the clip is located when the clip is bearing on the rail;characterised in that the clip is formed of an elongate plate shapedsuch that a central region of the plate has in profile the form of aletter C, a first end region of the plate extending from one side of thecentral region to form the said second portion of the clip, which servesas a base portion, and a second end region of the plate extending fromthe opposite side of the central region of the plate to form the saidtoe portion of the clip; and in that an upper surface of the anchoringdevice is formed with a step which engages the toe insulator to inhibitunintentional removal of the clip from the device.

[0004] Preferably, the toe portion of the clip comprises, proceedingfrom the central region of the plate, a first section, extending towardsthe base portion of the clip, and then a straight second sectionextending away from the base portion, the insulator retaining meansbeing provided on said second section.

[0005] The insulator retaining means desirably comprise a notch formedin the toe portion-for engaging with a projection on the toe insulator,which notch preferably extends across the toe portion.

[0006] Preferably, the toe portion is bifurcated and each part of thetoe portion is provided with insulator retaining means for retainingthereon respective toe insulators for electrically insulating the clipfrom the rail. In this case the insulator retaining means preferablycomprise respective notches formed in each part or the toe portion forengaging with respective projections on the toe insulators, the notchesdesirably extending respectively across the parts or the toe portion.Preferably, the central portion of the plate is not bifurcated.

[0007] The or each notch may be provided on a lower surface of the toeportion. Preferably, the or each notch has an abutment face which issubstantially perpendicular to the direction in which the clip is to bedriven onto the rail. In this case, the or each notch also has aninclined face extending away from and opposite to the said abutmentsurface.

[0008] The width of the toe portion may be substantially the same asthat of the base portion.

[0009] Desirably, the base portion is planar.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment the base portion has a recess, providedadjacent to a free end of the base portion, for engaging part of therail clip anchoring device. Desirably, the recess is provided on anupper surface of the base portion.

[0011] The passageway of each anchoring device preferably has a roof.Desirably, a locating projection is formed on the roof inside thepassageway in the anchoring device for engaging with a recess on thebase portion of the clip.

[0012] Preferably, the roof extends over almost the entire passageway.

[0013] The assembly may further comprise a pair of sidepost insulatorsfor insulating the anchoring devices from the rail, each anchoringdevice having means for locating a sidepost insulator thereon.

[0014] Each anchoring device preferably has an aperture at the end ofthe passageway opposite to an entrance thereof, and each sidepostinsulator has a portion which projects into that aperture, the portionof the sidepost insulator projecting into the aperture having a recesstherein into which the base portion of the clip projects, thereby toprevent vertical displacement of the sidepost insulator.

[0015] Alternatively, or additionally, each anchoring device may have aprotrusion and a recess at the end of the passageway adjacent to thesidepost insulator and each sidepost insulator may have a protrusionwhich projects into the recess, which protrusions act to resistunintentional vertical displacement of the sidepost insulator.

[0016] Reference will now be made, by way of example, to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

[0017]FIG. 1 shows a side view, partly in cross-section taken on lineI-I in FIG. 3, of a railway rail fastening assembly embodying thepresent invention;

[0018]FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the assembly of FIG. 1;

[0019]FIG. 3 shows a rear view of the assembly of FIG. 1;

[0020]FIG. 4 shows a side view of a railway rail fastening clipembodying the present invention;

[0021]FIG. 5 shows a plan view from above of the clip of FIG. 4;

[0022]FIG. 6 shows a front view of the clip of FIG. 4;

[0023]FIG. 7 shows an enlarged side view of part of the clip of FIG. 4;

[0024]FIGS. 8A and 8B show respective cross-sectional views, taken onthe line VII-VIII in FIG. 5, of the clip of FIG. 4 and an insulatorbefore and after attachment of the insulator to the clip;

[0025]FIG. 9 shows a front view o: a rail fastening anchoring device foruse in the assembly of FIG. 1;

[0026]FIG. 10 shows a plan view from above of the device of FIG. 9;

[0027]FIG. 11 shows a rear view of the device of FIG. 9;

[0028]FIG. 12 shows a cross-sectional side view taken on the lineXII-XII in FIG. 11;

[0029]FIG. 13 shows a cross-sectional plan view taken on the lineXIII-XIII in FIG. 11;

[0030]FIG. 14 shows a view of the assembly of FIG. 1 with the clip in apre-assembly position; and

[0031]FIG. 15 shows modifications to the assembly of FIG. 1, FIG. 15Ashowing a front view of a modified sidepost insulator, FIG. 15B showinga partial cross-sectional side view taken on the line XV in FIG. 15A andFIG. 15C showing a side view of a modified anchoring device.

[0032] The assembly of FIG. 1 comprises a railway rail 1 fastened to anunderlying rail foundation 2 by means of a pair of railway railfastening clips 3 embodying the present invention which are anchored inrespective rail fastening anchoring devices 4 and carry respective toeinsulators 5 for electrically insulating the clip 3 from the rail 1. Thefoot of the rail 1 rests on a resilient rail pad 6 and the railfastening anchoring devices 4 are insulated from the rail 1 by means ofsidepost insulators 7.

[0033] The assembly is designed to allow the clip 3 to be driven intothe anchoring device 4 so as to be held in a pre-assembly position inwhich the toe and sidepost insulators 5, 7 are also held captive,allowing rail foundations 2 to be delivered to site already equippedwith a complete rail fastening assembly, which greatly improves thespeed of track installation. After installation the clip 3 can also bedriven off the rail 1 back into the pre-assembly position, therebyallowing track maintenance to be carried out without the need to removethe clips 3 from the anchoring devices 4.

[0034] A clip 3 embodying the present invention is shown in FIGS. 4 to7. Clip 3 is made from an elongate plate shaped so as to have a centralportion 31 having in profile the form of a letter C. A planar partextending from one end of the C-shaped part 31 forms a base portion 32of the clip 3. Adjacent to a free end 36 of the base portion 32 there isformed a recess 35 which extends across an upper surface of the baseportion 32. The recess 35 engages with part of the rail fasteninganchoring device 4 when the clip 3 is installed therein to assist inlocating the clip 3 in the anchoring device 4. The free end 36 of thebase portion 32 has a chamfer on its upper edge 37A. On the other sideof the central portion 31 the plate is bent to form a toe portion 33 ofthe clip 3. The toe portion 33 comprises two parts 33A and 33B separatedby a gap 38, each of the parts 33A, 33B having across respective lowersurfaces thereof respective notches 34A, 34B, adjacent to the free ends39A, 39B of the parts 33A, 33B. The free ends 39A, 39B have respectiveupper and lower chamfered edges 40A, 40B. The first section of the toeportion 33 bends down from the end of the central portion 31 towards thebase portion 32 and then a second section of the toe portion 33 extendsaway from the central portion 31 and base portion 32.

[0035] The notches 34A, 34B each have, as shown most clearly in FIGS. 8Aand 8S, an abutment face 341 substantially perpendicular to thedirection in which the clip is to be driven, and in this embodiment alsosubstantially parallel to the end face 39A, and an inclined face 343,joined together by a wall 342 which extends approximatelyperpendicularly to the abutment face 341. The notches 34A, 34B areprovided as means for retaining the insulators 5 on the toe of the clip3. As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, each insulator 5 is made of electricallyinsulating material having a cavity 51 shaped so as to fit snugly ontothe second section of the part 33A or 33B of the toe portion 33.Insertion of the second section of the toe parts 33A, 33B into theinsulators 5 is eased by the provision on the toe parts 33A, 33B of thechamfered edges 40A, 40B. Inside the cavity 51 a projection 52 is formedwhich, when the part 33A or 33B is inserted into the cavity 51, thechamfered edge 40B of the part 33A (33B) rides up and over, the part 33A(33B) coming to rest within the insulator cavity 51 such that theprojection 52 is located in the notch 34A (34B). The material of theinsulator 5 beneath the cavity 51 is thicker than that at the topthereof and is shaped so as to have no sharp corners which would impedethe driving of the clip 3 onto the rail 1. The notches 34A, 34B aredesigned such that the insulators 5 are retained firmly on the toe 33 ofthe clip 3 during both driving of the clip 3 into the anchoring device 4and withdrawal of the clip 3 from the rail 1.

[0036] By way of example only, a clip embodying the present inventionmay have the following dimensions: the clip width, which is constant atthe toe portion, base portion and central region, is 76 mm; the cliplength as measured perpendicularly from the end face 39A (39B) to thefurthest outer edge of the central region 31 is 92 mm; the centralregion 31 has an inner diameter of 42 mm; the length from the end face36 to the furthest outer edge of the central region is 56 mm; the baseportion 32 extends at an angle of 19° to the second section of the toeportion 33; the recess 35 has a depth of 0.5 mm and the surface ofrecess 35 has a radius of curvature of 2 mm, the centre of which islocated 4 mm from the end face 36 of the base portion 32; the abutmentface 341 of the notch 34A (34B) is 2 mm long and is located 4 mm fromthe end face 39A (39B) of the toe part 33A (33B), the wall 342 extendsfor a further 3 mm and the inclined face 343 is inclined at an angle of15.9° to the second section of the toe portion 33; the length of thesecond section of each toe part 33A, 33B is 21.35 mm, the radius ofcurvature of the bend in the toe parts 33A, 33B being 10 mm; and theheight of the toe portion 33 above the base portion 32 is 9 mm.

[0037] The rail fastening anchoring device 4 of the assembly shown inFIGS. 1 to 3 is shown in more detail in FIGS. 9 to 13. Anchoring device4 has an upper section 41 which extends above the rail foundation 2 anda lower section 42 which extends into the rail foundation 2. Lowersection 42 includes a pair of legs 43 designed to prevent vertical andhorizontal displacement of the anchoring device 4 in the rail foundation2. The upper section 41 of the device 4 provides a body 44 through whichthere is a passageway 45 having an entrance 46 at the rear of theanchoring device 4. The passageway 45 has a roof 47 which extends overalmost all of the passageway 45; an opening 49 is left in the roof 47 toreceive a part 71 of the sidepost insulator 7 which in use is located onthe front of the anchoring device 4. Since the passageway 45 isenclosed, track ballast cannot intrude into the anchoring device 4,thereby ensuring that withdrawal of the clip 3 from the rail 1 andsubsequent driving of the clip 3 back onto the rail 1 are not impeded.An end portion 48 of the roof 47 inside the passageway 45 which isadjacent to the front of the anchoring device 4 serves as a locatingprojection which engages the recess 35 in the base portion 32 of theclip 3. As mentioned above, the sidepost insulator 7, as shown mostclearly on the lefthand side of FIG. 1, has a portion 71 which projectsinto the aperture 49 in the roof 47. A recess 72 is formed in theportion 71 and the free end 36 of the base portion 32 extends into thisrecess 72 so as to prevent vertical displacement of the sidepostinsulator 7.

[0038] The clip 3 has three points of contact with the assembly, that isbetween the toe portion 33 and the rail, between a lower portion of theC-shaped part 31 and the base of the anchoring device 4, and between therecess 35 in the base portion 32 and the end portion 48 of the anchoringdevice 4.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 14, on installation of the clip 3 into thedevice 4, or on subsequent withdrawal of the clip 3 from the rail 1, theclip 3 can be “parked” in a pre-assembly position in which the free end36 of the base portion 32 bears against the roof 47 of the passageway 45and the toe insulator 5 bears on an upper surface 441 of the body 44 ofthe device 4 which is formed with a step 442 to inhibit unintentionalwithdrawal of the clip 3 from the device 4.

[0040] A modification to the assembly of FIG. 1 is shown in FIGS. 15A,15B and 15C. As shown in FIG. 15C, an anchoring device 4′, similar inother respects to the anchoring device 4 of FIG. 1, is provided withrespective outer wings 400′ at each side of the body 44′ of theanchoring device 4′, each wing 400′ being formed, on the side facingaway from the rail 1 when in use, with a protrusion 401′. Below eachprotrusion 401′ a recess 402′ is formed. As shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B,a sidepost insulator 7′, similar in other respects to the sidepostinsulator 7 of FIG. 1, is formed at end parts 700′ thereof withrespective protrusions 701′, which, when the sidepost insulator 7′ ispushed vertically downwards onto the front of the anchoring device 41,is displaced by the protrusion 401′ on the anchoring device 4′. Uponpassing the protrusion 401′, the protrusion 701′ on the sidepostinsulator 7′ returns to its undeflected condition and sits in the recess402′, thereby resisting unintentional vertical displacement of theinsulator 7′.

1. A railway rail fastening assembly for fastening a railway rail (1) toan underlying rail foundation (2), the assembly comprising: a pair ofrailway rail fastening clips (3), each clip (3) having a first portion(33), serving as a toe portion (33) for bearing on the railway rail (1),and a second portion (32) for engaging a rail fastening clip anchoringdevice (4) secured to the rail foundation (2), the clip (3) beingcapable of being retained in the assembly in a pre-assembly position inwhich the clip (3) does not bear on the rail (1); a pair of electricallyinsulating toe insulators (5), each insulator (5) having a cavity (51)within which the toe portion (33) of the clip (3) is located, wherebythe clip (3) is electrically insulated from the rail (1), the insulatorbeing retained on the toe portion (33) of the clip (3) by insulatorretaining means (34A, 34B) provided on the toe portion (33) of the clip(3) which engage corresponding means (52) on the insulator (5); and apair of rail fastening clip anchoring devices (4), each anchoring device(4) having a passageway (45) within which the second portion of the clip(3) is located when the clip (3) is bearing on the rail (1);characterised in that each clip (3) is formed of an elongate plateshaped such that a central region (31) of the plate has in profile theform of a letter C, a first end region or the plate extending from oneside of the central region (31) to form the second portion (32) of theclip (3), which serves as a base portion (32), and a second end regionof the plate extending from the opposite side of the central region ofthe plate to form the said toe portion (33) of the clip (3); and in thatan upper surface (441) of each anchoring device (4) is formed with astep (442) which engages the toe insulator (5) to inhibit unintentionalremoval of the clip from the device (4).
 2. An assembly clip as claimedin claim 1, wherein the toe portion (33) of the clip (3) comprises,proceeding from the central region (31) of the plate, a first section,extending towards the base portion (32) of the clip (3), and then astraight second section extending away from the base portion (32), theinsulator retaining means (34A, 34B; 52) being provided on said secondsection.
 3. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein theinsulator retaining means (34A, 34B; 52) comprise a notch (34A, 34B)formed in the toe portion (33) and a projection (52) formed within thecavity (51) of the toe insulator (5) for engaging the notch (34A, 342).4. An assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the notch (34A, 34B)extends across the toe portion (33).
 5. An assembly as claimed in claim1 or 2, wherein the toe portion (33) of the clip (3) is bifurcated andeach part (33A, 33B) of the toe portion (33) is provided with insulatorretaining means (34A, 34B) for retaining thereon respective toeinsulators (5) for electrically insulating the clip (3) from the rail(1).
 6. An assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein the insulatorretaining means (34A, 34B) comprise respective notches (34A, 34B) formedin each part (33A, 33B) of the toe portion (33) for engaging withrespective projections (52) on the toe insulators (5).
 7. An assembly asclaimed in claim 6, wherein the notches (34A, 34B) extend respectivelyacross the parts (33A, 33B) of the toe portion (33).
 8. An assembly asclaimed in any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the central portion (31) ofthe plate forming the clip (3) is not bifurcated.
 9. An assembly asclaimed in any one of claims 3, 4, 6 or 7, or claim 8 when read asappended to claim 6 or 7, wherein the or each notch (34A, 34B) isprovided on a lower surface of the toe portion (33).
 10. An assembly asclaimed in any one of claims 3, 4, 6, 7 or 9, wherein the or each notch(34A, 34B) has an abutment face (341) which is substantiallyperpendicular to the direction in which the clip (3) is to be drivenonto the rail (1).
 11. An assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein theor each notch (34A, 34B) has an inclined face (343) extending away fromand opposite to the said abutment surface (341).
 12. An assembly asclaimed in any preceding claim, wherein the width of the toe portion(33) of the clip (3) is substantially the same as that of the baseportion (32) of the clip (3).
 13. An assembly as claimed in anypreceding claim, wherein the base portion (32) of the clip (3) isplanar.
 14. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein thebase portion (32) of the clip (3) has a recess (35), provided adjacentto a free end (36) of the base portion (32), for engaging part (48) ofthe rail clip anchoring device (4).
 15. An assembly as claimed in claim14, wherein the recess (35) is provided on an upper surface of the baseportion (32) of the clip (3).
 16. An assembly as claimed in anypreceding claim, wherein the passageway (45) of each anchoring device(4) has a roof (47).
 17. An assembly as claimed in claim 16, when readas appended to claim 14 or 15, wherein a locating projection (48) isformed on the roof (47) inside the passageway (45) in the anchoringdevice (4) for engaging with the recess (35) on the base portion (32) ofthe clip (3).
 18. An assembly as claimed in claim 16 or 17, wherein theroof (47) extends over almost the entire passageway (45).
 19. Anassembly as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a pair ofsidepost insulators (7) for insulating the anchoring devices (4) fromthe rail (1), each anchoring device (4) having means (49) for locating asidepost insulator (7) thereon.
 20. An assembly as claimed in claim 19,wherein each anchoring device (4) has an aperture (49) at the end of thepassageway (45) opposite to an entrance thereof, and each sidepostinsulator (7) has a portion (71) which projects into that aperture (49),the portion (71) of the sidepost insulator (7) projecting into theaperture (49) having a recess (72) therein into which the base portion(32) of the clip (3) projects, thereby to prevent vertical displacementof the sidepost insulator (7).
 21. An assembly as claimed in claim 19 or20, wherein each anchoring device (4′) has a protrusion (401′) and arecess (402′) at the end of the passageway (45) adjacent to the sidepostinsulator (7′) and each sidepost insulator (7′) has a protrusion (701′)which projects into the recess (402′), which protrusions (401′, 701′)act to resist unintentional vertical displacement of the sidepostinsulator (7′).